Forest Friends Forest School:
a nature-based educational program for ages 3-5
9:00-11:45 Mondays and/or Wednesdays
When children have uninterrupted play in Nature, something magical happens that transforms their spirit, their mind, and their body.
Our Guiding Philosophy:
We believe all children deserve opportunities to connect to the natural world in order to strengthen relationships, cultivate compassion, and spark boundless creativity.
Forest School:
Where Children Thrive in Nature
Forest Schools developed from the ideas that children thrive when given access to the natural world. The first formal Forest School was developed in Denmark in the 1950's, with a focus on a child-centered, emergent approach to learning, with teachers serving as facilitators in children's learning. The core belief that "play is children's work" and that the natural world is the best "first teacher" of children laid the groundwork for the Forest School philosophy we follow at Oakview Farm Forest School.
Forest School Curriculum
A strong sense of place comes from a deep connection to the land, our woods and fields of the farm.
Developing a deep connection to a place relies on paying attention to daily and seasonal changes, such as:
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The wildflowers and grasses growing in the meadows and pastures in late May.
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The leaves of the Shagbark Hickory trees budding out in April.
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The wild turkey population taking its seasonal migration across the land in October.
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2026-2027 Forest School Calendar
We follow Rutherford County Schools
for vacation closings.
School Begins August 10th
Below are the dates Forest School will NOT operate:
August 3 & 5: Teacher Training Days
September 7: Labor Day
October 5-9: Fall Break
November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break
December 21- January 1: Winter Break
January 4: Teacher Inservice and Work Day
February 16: President’s Day Teacher Retreat Day
March 29-April 2: Spring Break
May 19: Last Day of Forest School
Weather Closings:
Since we are an all-weather program, we will not close automatically for inclement weather when Rutherford County Schools is closed.
During inclement weather situations, we will keep parents informed about our school closures.
Flat Rate Monthly Tuition for 2026-2027
$250/month + $50 one-time enrollment fee